All House

The special election Tuesday to fill the House seat vacated by shooting victim Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is overshadowed by the memory of the tragedy, but the Republican has tried to make it about Obama's policies.

After a House Republican landslide, presumptive Speaker John Boehner will have to handle a wounded President Obama and tea party lawmakers emboldened by their success. In a Monitor interview, Boehner suggests ways that he might be able to bridge the gap between the two.

Midterm elections upon us, most observers expect Republicans to take over the House of Representatives, though projections vary widely as to how many seats they’ll gain, and a massive number of races – more than 100 – are close enough to go either way. The magic number Republicans need to gain to take control: 39.
So how can an Election Night observer get a sense of the big picture amid the many returns coming in? Rather than zeroing in on any individual race, look for trends in those expected to be closest. Here are a handful of races to keep an eye on in the states with early-closing polls.

Grass-roots groups, mostly on the right, insist that House and Senate candidates in Election 2010 make specific pledges, before giving their thumbs' up. Spending cuts and repeal of the federal health-care law are often on the pledge list.